Hong Kong democracy activist dies

Szeto Wah, one of Hong Kong's most influential campaigners for democracy and human rights, has died at age 79.

Media reports say he died Sunday morning after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

A founding member of the Democratic Party, Hong Kong's leading opposition party, he served as a legislator for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 2004.

Szeto was trained as a teacher and led the territory's Professional Teachers' Union before becoming an outspoken advocate of political reform in Hong Kong and mainland China.

He was a leading campaigner for the victims of Beijing's 1989 military crackdown on protesters at Tiananmen Square.

Along with others he organized the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democratic Movements in China. The group, which he headed until his death, became a key advocate for both the victims of Tiananmen and for mainland dissidents jailed by the Chinese government.

It continued to criticize the Tiananmen crackdown and called on Beijing to apologize, even after Hong Kong became a semi-autonomous Chinese territory in 1997.

Szeto was widely admired by the student leaders of the Tiananmen protests and other supporters of the movement. His death drew emotional tributes from fellow activists.

"I am very, very sad. Uncle Wah was a spiritual leader for me and for the democracy movement," exiled student leader Wang Dan told Hong Kong's Cable TV.